AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK, Salford
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK is a secondary school for pupils aged 13 to 19 in Salford, part of Aldridge Education. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 5th-highest of the 5 schools in Salford with published results, and 2,773rd of 3,298 across England. It was 82% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Capacity
- 82% full
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.9 in Salford and 47 across England.
29% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 45% in Salford and 47% in England.
That is up from 35.6 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.84: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 34.8, against 41.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 6.9 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 15 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Multimedia.
Getting a place at AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK
Across Salford, 86% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 96% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Salford lodged 107 appeals against secondary school offers; 81 reached a hearing and 11 succeeded (13.6% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK are Oasis Academy MediaCityUK (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 35.8); Eton Academy (1 mile); Stretford High School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.5); and Buile Hill Academy (1.3 miles, Attainment 8 46.1).
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Oasis Academy MediaCityUKEton AcademyStretford High SchoolBuile Hill Academy
The trust
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK is one of 9 schools run by Aldridge Education, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 97 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 78% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 30% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.
Of the 87 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 59% went on to university or other higher education, 3% to apprenticeships and 15% into work. 7% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
37.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%) and Mixed (9%).
In 2026, 129 pupils (27.8%) received SEN support and 43 (9.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Broadway (Manchester Metrolink), about 70 metres away (roughly a 1-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is UTC Media City UK (opposite), 50 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK issued 22 suspensions, 4.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK are Lark Hill Community Primary School (0.7 miles), Willow Tree Primary School (0.7 miles), St Joseph's RC Primary School (0.7 miles) and Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Lark Hill Community Primary SchoolWillow Tree Primary SchoolSt Joseph's RC Primary SchoolPrimrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
37.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from -0.57 to -0.84 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 42.5 to 39.0 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 34% to 29% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 39.0 | 28.6% |
| Disadvantaged(40) | - | 34.8 | 17.5% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(65) | - | 41.7 | 35.4% |
| Boys(64) | - | 41.8 | 32.8% |
| Girls(41) | - | 34.7 | 22% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(8) | - | 45.9 | 25% |
| Non mobile(95) | - | 40.5 | 30.5% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 97 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
22
Suspensions
4.82%
Suspension rate
18 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 456 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK
Term dates
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK is a university technical college, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Salford's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK is in Salford; for families living there:
- Salford's school travel policy: Salford home to school transport policy 2026 (Adobe PDF format, 156kb)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 10 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Salford is 19.5 (the median across 136 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
82%
Available places
444 pupils
542 places
98 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Salford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Salford
Across Salford council
Places available
2,774
Applications
2,789
Got 1st preference
85.9%
Got preferred school
96.4%
All secondary applications across Salford council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
129
SEN Support
43
EHC Plans
37.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
464
Total Pupils
251
Boys
213
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
29
Teachers
16.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,112
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,222
Per pupil
£2845k
Total funding
£144k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.6%
Overall absence
33.6%
Persistent absence
330
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK
What are GCSE results like at AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK?
In the 2026 results, pupils at AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK achieved an Attainment 8 score of 39. 29% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK's Ofsted rating?
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2018 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK?
No fixed boundary. When AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK is oversubscribed, Salford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK?
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK was not full in 2025: it ran at 82% of its 542 places.
How big are the classes at AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK?
Classes at AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK average 22.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK?
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK has around 464 pupils on roll. 37% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK?
10.6% of sessions were missed at AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK in 2024/25. 33.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK?
Apply through Salford's coordinated admissions process, naming AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 10 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Salford is 19.5 (the median across 136 schools, same distance and years).
Where is AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK?
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK is at 100- 102 Broadway, Salford, Greater Manchester, M50 2UW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)